Just One Shot
by 123roseq
Summary: One shot and she would be dead. It would be over. Or would it? What doesn't she know? Zanessa, slight Zashley
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay listen, this is my first attempt to write a High School Musical Story, or any multi-chaptered story

**A/N: **Okay listen, this is my first attempt to write a High School Musical Story, or any multi-chaptered story. So please don't be too hard on me. I'm sorry if I offend anyone with this story and let me just tell you right now that **I love Ashley Tisdale and Zac Efron both!** THIS STORY IS BASED ON NINETEEN MINUTES BY JODI PICOULT!

Vanessa Hudgens walked down the street after school was over. Today was the day! The day of her audition for the new movie had finally arrived, and she was more excited that she could explain. She felt as if the entire street was watching her as she walked. She just had to get to the bus stop and it would take her to the right area in the city. She felt a cool breeze lift up the back of her blue jacket, and smiled. It was such a light blue color, it would stain easily. She had a shirt just like it when she was five. It had been her favorite, but had been ruined when her neighbor, Tanya, had spilled grape juice on her at snack time and stained it. She stopped to take off the jacket and put it in her bag, glancing up to make sure the bus wasn't coming. She would hate to miss it. She started to take the jacket off her arms and never fully took it off.

Ashley Tisdale hid in the bushes of the road, clutching the gun tight in her hand. She watched as Vanessa stopped, leaning her bag against a bench to steady it as she tried to slip her jacket off. It wouldn't go smoothly, it was jerking and Vanessa was struggling with it. One shot and it was done. She glanced at the bus stop; the bus would be here within the next thirty seconds. She held her breath. And fired. It happened instantly, Vanessa was on the floor. Dead. She hadn't even had time to scream. But she heard screams now.

"OH MY GOD!" A woman was screaming, "WHAT HAPPENED?"

There were people panicking they didn't know where to go, people swarmed toward the shop windows and hesitated, afraid someone might be inside. Ashley slid the gun into her pocket, and ran in the other direction. The job was done.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay listen, this is my first attempt to write a High School Musical Story, or any multi-chaptered story

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! This chapter contains two flashbacks, and the second one is about a year and a half after the first one. Once again, I'm sorry for the OOC Zac, but it had to be done! Don't kill me!

"_You're kidding." Ashley said, watching the girl who was trying to make heads or tails of a map of their school, "She's the one you were telling me about?"_

_Monique nodded. She took another glance at the new girl and said, "But you're right. There seems to be some confusion. This is not who Lucas seemed to be describing. I'll check."_

_Ashley took another glance at the new girl. She was now attempting to open her locker. This was the threat to her? The amazing singer who supposedly wowed people to their very core, and made them forget everything, including themselves? It didn't seem possible. Should she go help the girl who was clearly so hated by others already? _

"_Hey," She said, smiling as she approached Vanessa, "Having trouble?"_

"_Yeah, actually," She murmured, "How do you get the locker open?"_

"_You're spinning the wrong way." Ashley pointed out, "It's left, right, then left."_

_Vanessa laughed, clearly embarrassed, "Well that's a relief, I thought there was some problem with it."  
_

"_That would have been bad." Ashley agreed. "I'm Ashley Tisdale."_

"_Vanessa Hudgens." She smiled, "This school doesn't seem so bad, now that my lockers open and I'm actually talking to someone."_

"_Well, welcome to our school." Ashley said, "Need any help finding your first class?"_

_!!_

"_No," Vanessa said determinedly, "That is not how I'm going to do it. I told you. I'm done with you." _

"_You said that." Zac agreed, "Did you mean it?"_

_He was too close. Vanessa could smell peppermint on his breath. She could feel his arms twitching as they prepared to wrap around her waist. _

"_Yes." She whispered, but she wasn't so sure anymore. How could she be? She couldn't think._

"_Really?" He said, inching closer still. _

_His eyes bored into hers, and she could no longer think._

"_Ya…" She murmured, barely a sound at all. _

_She felt him kiss her, and everything disappeared. There was nothing left, but him and her. No one else existed. Could ever exist again. _

_Suddenly he pulled away, "I didn't think so."_


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay listen, this is my first attempt to write a High School Musical Story, or any multi-chaptered story

A/N: There we go! The flashbacks from now one will be in order! The one at the end of this chapter and all after this one will be after the first flashback of the last chapter, and before the second one. And I'M REALLY SORRY ABOUT HOW MEAN ZAC IS IN THIS STORY! He's not that mean in this chapter, but still.

When Ashley walked to school the next morning, kids were crying. Really sobbing, not just a drizzle of tears, but a storm. No one questioned her cold demeanor when she entered the school. They assumed it was grief. How she was dealing with it. She and Vanessa were best friends after all. Or so everyone had thought.

Monique approached her, with tears running down her face, "Oh god, Ash." She said, gasping for breath, "How could this have happened?"

"Yeah," Ashley forced herself to sound upset, depressed, unable to comprehend how something like this could happen when on the inside, she was hoping. Maybe now, things will go back to the way they were supposed to be.

Zac held his head up high. Everyone knew he was Vanessa's boyfriend. Everyone expected him to be upset, but he couldn't be. Being upset would destroy him. If he grieved for Vanessa, who was after all, only his girlfriend, he would never find another to replace her. If he let the grief he felt swallow him, he would remain Vanessa's boyfriend in everyone's eyes, and would never be able to stand the thought of ending that. He would no longer be Zac Efron. He couldn't let that happen to him. He sighed as he walked by Vanessa's yearbook portrait posted up on the wall with the words _Rest in Peace _on it,signed by various students. He sighed as he saw Ashley talking with Monique. Ashley was so upset she looked like she would never smile again. There was a coldness to her he had never seen before. Maybe he should talk to her.

_Vanessa sighed as she heard Monique beg her to audition. _

"_I can't. You know I can't. I promised Zac I would be there when he won the basketball game." Vanessa said, "I would love to though."_

"_You can't give up everything for Zac. I thought he already had a girlfriend. What happened to Diane?" Monique demanded._

"_He and Diane broke up this morning, and I already promised him I would be there," Vanessa explained quietly, "I can't leave him now."_

_They passed a poster for the new school musical auditions, and Monique gave a dramatic sigh. _

"_There is nothing you won't do for him is there?" She said, with a small smile, "He would be lucky to have a girl like you for his girlfriend. You'd be nothing like Diane. Oh, here he comes!"_

_Sure enough, Zac was walking down the hall, basketball in hand._

"_Hey there you are!" He said to Vanessa, "Are you still coming to my game this afternoon?"_

_Before Vanessa could answer, Monique said, "Well, there's been a complication. Like, the new musical."_

"_New musical?" Zac repeated._

"_Yeah, Monique wants me to audition." Vanessa said, not meeting his eyes._

"_Well, I'll be there."_

_She glanced up shocked, "Where?"_

"_At the auditions! The game won't run through them, I guarantee it. If you want to do it, go for it!"_

_Vanessa smiled. Diane didn't know what she was missing. Who would give up a guy like Zac Efron?_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Okay listen, this is my first attempt to write a High School Musical Story, or any multi-chaptered story

A/N: Okay, maybe I lied. This chapter's flashback is before the last one's. But things start to make sense after this, I swear!

Ashley went through the day in a haze. It was unbelievable the affect other people's grief had on you. Even though she wasn't upset herself, the anguish that her friends were clearly feeling made her as quiet and withdrawn as the rest of them. She felt as if she was drifting in a haze of gray. No one was happy here. No one knew how to do anything but cry. Everyone was the same.

It was only when she went home, and flopped on her bed that she began to break out of the melancholy. She opened up her drawer, and took out the gun, fingering it. This was the gun that had ended Vanessa Hudgen's life. The thought was enough to make her hand jerk and put the gun back into the drawer, slamming the door shut.

"_Hey," Ashley glanced upward startled to see Zac Efron standing at her locker. Ever since he and Diane had started going out she had rarely seen him. She missed him. She had hoped that he would start to spend more time with her._

"_Hi," She said, "what brings you here?"_

"_I just wanted to stop by and see you, Ash. Is that a problem?" _

"_No." She said, a little too quickly. He must have noticed because he smiled. She felt heat rise to her cheeks. Oh, God. Was she blushing? _

"_Um—so…" She couldn't think of what to say, it was as if all logical thought had flown from her brain. _

"_So…how is the school musical?" He asked. _

"_Not as good as it could be." She admitted, "I wanted to add some new people to our next one. The same old talentless voices are starting to get on my nerves."_

"_You don't mean Monique?" He asked, raising his eyebrows._

_She turned even redder, "No! Well—I meant other than her!"_

_He smiled again, "It's alright I just wanted to see how you were doing."_

_He smiled at her as he walked past. She giggled. _There is no way his and Diane's relationship is going to last forever, _she thought, _and when it's over he is all mine.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I know this chapter gets confusing. But you'll figure it out eventually.

"Ashley!" Zac exclaimed in surprise.

Ashley was leaned up against her locker. She was sobbing, although her face was almost expressionless. She looked as if she had no energy to even pretend like she was getting over it any more. He could relate. He felt like sobbing into his locker recently too, but he couldn't do that. If he had a chance to redo everything…he killed that thought as soon as it entered his mind. No regrets.

"You okay." He said softly, wrapping his arms around her.

He saw a flush spread across her unusually pale face. This had been happening for a while, Zac had noticed. Every time he would get close to Ashley or even talk to her, she would blush. _This could be my chance, _he realized. If he could establish Ashley Tisdale as his girlfriend now, he would shake off any grip Vanessa might have on him from beyond the grave.

A-B-C-D

Ashley raced home that day from school, her heart pounding. She couldn't believe it was actually happening! Zac had asked her to be his girlfriend today at school! She couldn't imagine how it had happened so soon! She had always hoped that when Zac got over Vanessa, he would come to her. But she had never imagined that it would happen this quickly after her death.

She had him. That had been one of her many hopes when she had pulled that trigger. What now?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I don't think I updated yesterday. Sorry. Anyway, the chapter's here now. This is one of the chapters where you can really tell it is based on Nineteen Minutes. But it was fun to write. Again, I'm SO SORRY for making Zac evil!"Zac," Vanessa whispered, smiling, "Not here,"

_It was the last day of school before spring break, and there was a party on campus, lit by lamplight. Everyone had gathered together, and most of their friends were gathered at the food table, eating low fat chips. But Zac had cornered Vanessa and dragged away from Monique and Ashley, insisting they needed to be alone. _

_Zac's arms wound around her and he leaned in to kiss her again._

"_Zac," She laughed softly, "Everyone can see us, you know."_

"_So?" He said, "What's wrong with that? Are you embarrassed by me?"_

"_No," She insisted, trying to squirm away, but he refused to let go, "It's just—this is a school event."_

"_So is everything else I see you at." He smiled, and released her waist taking her hands instead, "What do you say we ditch this thing, and head somewhere else together? Like… a hotel."_

"_No," She murmured, and let go of his hands. He took her wrists instead._

"_I'm leaving tomorrow. Don't you want to say goodbye to me?" His grip tightened possessively._

"_Yeah," she said quietly, "But isn't there another way to…"_

_He leaned forward and kissed her, and she forgot her worries._

"_I love you," He whispered, seductively, "Don't you love me?"_

"_I love you," She repeated._

"_Then trust me. Let's go."_


End file.
